Lucky Encounter: A Lucy and Laxus Tale
by Lady Nosila
Summary: Lucy meets Laxus when she least expects to. Romance if you look really hard.


_Hey! I'd forgotten about this story, so when I found it, it was like reuniting with an old acquaintance. It's a couple of years old, but I figured, why not post it? Anyway, I hope you like it. Thank you to all who read my stuff and an even bigger thanks to those who review as well. As for my other stories, I'm currently working on the update for my __**One Piece**__ one. Thanks again and bye!_

**Lucky Encounter: **

**A Lucy and Laxus Tale**

Inspired by Hiro Mashima's _Fairy Tail_

Lucy sat in the pub, quietly waiting for her target to arrive. It was her first mission on her own and she was a little nervous, but determined to get the job done. It had been difficult to convince her team to let her try to be independent, just to see if she could, but she had managed. Though Happy, Erza, and Gray were skeptic, Lucy talked them into stopping Natsu, who'd been flat out against the idea, from following her. She had been a member of Fairy Tail for a year and in that time she had grown in strength considerably; but she still wanted to know if she would be able to stand beside her friends as a force to be reckoned with, or whether she would forever be the one watching them from the sidelines; the little princess cheering them on.

Lucy fingered her drink, had had yet to take even a sip. Because of her strict upbringing as the heir to the Heartfilia fortune, Lucy had lived a very sheltered sixteen years until she ran away. The year following her escape consisted of her traveling and doing odd jobs to pay her way around, which left very little free time and even less fun money. After Natsu found her and brought her to Fairy Tail, her days only got busier…too busy to date or go out to party anywhere except for at the guild. Even then she refrained from drinking since it had a bad effect on her.

The stuff she ordered from the bar was just for show, so no guy would come and ask to buy her a drink. It was a waste of money though since there were no men present that were in any condition to offer.

She eyed the door expectantly. The man she was waiting for was the leader of a local band of thieves. Normally they kept under the radar, but recently the group had begun coming into the bar every night and causing a ruckus. The bar's owner had sent a request to take care of it since the thieves' presence was affecting their business.

That night there were only five people there: Lucy, the bartender, a drunken woman passed out in her booth, and a big man sitting at a table in the darkest corner of the place drinking shot after shot like it was water. Lucy glanced at him cautiously. The shadows hid his head completely from her, but she could make out his basic outline. He looked to be a good foot and a half taller than her and was built as if he spent much of his time working out. Clearly something was on his mind considering his massive alcohol intake that Lucy had witness in the short time she had been waiting alone.

His fur-lined coat was draped over the back of his seat and his knapsack rested on the table before him. He wore black slacks, or at least Lucy assumed they were black since it was impossible to tell the true color with the rotten lighting in that part of the pub, and a what appeared to be a dark-red button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Despite how she was unable to make out his face, something about his posture and basic shape was vaguely familiar…

The girl watched him motion for more sake' to be brought over to his table before turning her attention elsewhere. Out of the three customers present, Lucy was the only one not drunk or on the road to getting there. She spared a concerned glance at the unconscious woman in the booth and wondered if she was alright. She appeared to be breathing and mumbling in her drunken slumber, but Lucy could not help but worry. The woman's tight little black dress put the Celestial Mage's tank top and shorts go to shame. Where Lucy wore black combat boots that were great for kicking people during a fight, the woman wore sexy four-inch heals. But then again, the woman also plastered her face with make-up that did little to hide her aging face, expecially now that it was smeared, while the young blonde hadn't even bothered since she was pretty enough to go natural.

Lucy's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of boisterous men laughing and singing just outside the bar. Her hand flew to her belt to grab her keys, her eyes darting to the door in wait.

A mangy-looking man with a wire beard and shifty eyes slammed the door open and stomped in, grinning as her glanced around. Following him were three other men, but Lucy focused on the leader. Klive Masooth was him name and he was the bounty. Of course she would take care of the others too, but it was him that would pay her rent.

"Bartender! Sake' all 'round on me!" Masooth declared slamming his fists on the counter. The bartender glanced at the mage expectantly before doing as he was told. He was smart enough to play along for a while. Masooth dropped onto the stool next to Lucy, flashing a gappy smile at her and winking. "Hey there, girly. Here on ya lonesome are yeh?" He said leaning toward her slightly.

"Yeah." Lucy replied, placing her hand with her Fairy Tail mark in front of her and in plain sight. Amazingly, he didn't notice it. Looking at him, she had little doubt that she could handle the guy and his buddies easily. Taurus would do the job just fine. "Just me."

"Really." He paused to think for a moment. "Ya know…ya look kind of familiar. I know I've seen ya around somewhere…" he tilted his head as he searched his memory. Lucy had been on the cover of Weekly Sorcerer once and had pictures posted throughout it a few times as well. She was going to let him figure it out on his own though, just to see if he could.

"Well, I do get around. Just this morning I was in Magnolia." Lucy was still waiting for him to notice the mark. She glanced at the bartender and tilted her head toward the door to his office, signaling him to get out. He didn't need telling twice. He quickly made an excuse about having to check something in the back and telling Masooth and his buddies to call if they needed something, then hurriedly stepped into his private room.

"Magnolia…never been there myself. Isn't that where that crap wizard guild is?" He asked and one of his henchmen laughed and nodded his head, obviously enjoying his leader's attempt at flirting with the young chick. "Haha…that fairy-watz-it is all show! They got nothing! Them and their magazine ads and shit…hahaha!" Lucy fingered her keys, seriously tempted to summon Loki, Taurus, or Scorpio to beat the guy up, but she wondered how long it would take for him to notice her guild stamp. She took a deep breath and counted to ten while the man ranted on. "They're nothing! And what is with the swimming pool? Hahaha!"

"I believe it is to swim in." Lucy said, unable to hold the comment back.

"He, that's right…they would rather play tourist attraction then do any real work. Like I said, all talk and nothing to back it up." Having had enough, the celestial mage was about to summon a spirit to pummel the jerk when the sound of a sake' jug shattering caught everyone's attention. Lucy and the group of outlaws turned to look at the man in the shadows. He had given up on the glass and was drinking from the jug when his grip squeezed so tight that he shattered the container. The girl watched his outline shift as he leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. She could feel his eyes on her and Masooth.

"What the hell is his problem?" Masooth growled, turning back to the girl next to him, only to freeze when he saw what was on her hand. Lucy rolled her eyes. Took him long enough. The guy was a slow as molasses. At least he noticed before his men did; that would have been just plain old sad. "Ya…Yer…" He stuttered.

"Yup. I don't think I introduced myself yet. I'm Lucy…" She said sliding off the stool and stepping away, her hand pulling her keys from her belt and holding them at the ready. "…and I'm a Fairy Tail wizard. And you, Klive Masooth, are going to pay my rent this month."

"Damn, get her boys!" Masooth yelled.

"I command the Gat of the Bovine Palace to open! Taurus!" Lucy called. Taurus appeared; his ax already in hand. The girl and the bull-man together made short work of the three henchmen, but while they were fighting, Masooth sneaked up behind Lucy and grabbed her, ripping her keys from her hand and throwing them away. Taurus, caught up in the heat of battle, swung his ax at Masooth, not noticing his master in the way. Seeing the deadly blade coming at her, she quickly forced the Bovine Gate to close, taking Taurus with it.

Holding a knife to the celestial wizard's throat, Masooth snickered. "Like I said, Fairy Tail's got nothing." Before Lucy could react or use any of the moves that Erza had taught her for when she was in a spot similar to the one she was currently in, a bolt of white-blue lightning erupted through the room and hit the outlaw in the chest, throwing him into the wall behind the bar. Bottles of all varieties crashed down around the man, shattering and spilling alcohol across the floor behind the bar.

Lucy spun to look at the man in the corner; he'd thrown his table and everything on it to the side to make room for his attack. No longer in shadow, the man's identity became obvious. His signature spiked headphones for his SoundPod and the scar across his right eye gave him away. Though it had been ten months since the Fantasia parade when she'd last seen him, she recognized instantly. How come she hadn't sooner though? He wasn't exactly the average guy. His short, messy blond hair looked even messier and his piercing deep blue eyes seemed even colder, but other than that, Laxus Dreyar was the same as the day he'd been kicked out of Fairy Tail.

Lucy was in shock at seeing the man whom she had never thought that she would see again, that she did not notice Masooth jump over the bar and try to stab her, thinking that it was she who had zapped him. From the corner of her eye, she saw the criminal coming at her, but there was nothing Lucy could do. Laxus, however, could do plenty. He used his incredible speed to rush in front of the girl and punched Masooth with an electrically charged fist. It was an instant K.O.

Lucy turned and stared, totally speechless. Laxus had an expression that told her he was in no mood to be messed with. His gaze suddenly shifted to her and she froze, fear coursing through her. It was an old fear, induced by his past behavior and actions toward the guild and its members. He grunted at her, dropped money on the counter of the bar, then turned and started staggering to the door, stumbling slightly here and there, but not falling. Lucy was confused; not moments before he had sobered up solely for the fight. All fear gone, she watched as he leaned against the doorway staring out into the night; his body swaying back and forth as if being pushed with the wind. The bartender suddenly burst from his office and gaped at the mess that greeted him. Good thing Natsu hadn't come after all, otherwise the place would have been completely burned down. As it was, the only damage was a couple upturned tables, some charred wood, and the broken bottles. Nothing too bad.

As Laxus stepped out into the night, Lucy spun to face the owner and quickly said, "You can take care of those four from here, right? Dock the damage expenses from my payment and I'll come by tomorrow to collect it. Thanks, have a nice night." As the girl ran after Laxus despite her insecurities about doing so, the woman in the booth woke up. She gingerly sat up and looked around, her gaze blurred and unfocussed. After a moment, she rubbed her eyes, shook her head, and decided to just go back to sleep.

Lucy saw the S-class mage staggering down the street and jogged up behind him.

"Um…hello?" She asked, unsure. Her only response was a grunt. "Laxus. It's me Lucy. Do you remember me?" Again all she got was a grunt. "Well…I just wanted to thank you for helping out back there. I could have been in some serious trouble if you hadn't."

"The asshole was talking bad about my…about…" He suddenly seemed to lose his words. Lucy tilted her head questioningly. The man's blue gaze shifted to her and he sighed. "Old habits die hard." He swayed some more, then leaned on Lucy, taking the girl completely by surprise.

"Um…you don't seem so good." Lucy said blushing and struggling to hold up his weight. "Do you live around here? Maybe I should help you home." The soft vibrations on her neck from him chuckling made her pause.

"Man…you are a sight for sore eyes, Chickie. Sure has been a while." Lucy tried to push him off slightly, hoping he could support himself while she led him.

"Yeah, sure has. I didn't know you took up residence in this town. How long ago did you come here?" She tried. "Where do you live, Laxus?" He chuckled again, this time pulling away and straightening up. He began to stumble away again.

"Nowhere. I don't have a home. Came into town eaarrrlllyyy this morning…or was it late last night…?" He paused verbally, but failed to miss a step. "Whatever…It doesn't matter. But you do, so you should head back to wherever and not do anything stupid like in that pub." Lucy ignored his advice and continued to follow him, which was difficult; for every one of his strides, she had to take two steps. He was a tall man with long legs.

"You don't have anywhere to stay?" The girl reached out and grabbed his hand. Laxus would have been surprised by the action if he hadn't been so drunk. He felt completely numb. Before, he never really cared for drinking as much, but recently, he decided that it felt better to be numb and out of it instead of having to suffer with his bitter loneliness. Though he would never had admitted it back then, he had found comfort in the close proximity of the guild's members, even though he had always been a loner. He missed everyone he grew up with, all of the people that he now realized was his family. Laxus frowned when he felt the girl tug on his arm. It was funny how she fit in so much better despite having only joined a year before while Fairy Tail practically ran in his family. He glanced at her and sighed; he hadn't known how good he'd had it until it was all gone.

"No." He answered.

"Okay, then come with me!" Lucy pulled on his arm. If he had been set against it, she never would have been able to move even an inch. Maybe it was because he was very drunk and she was a very pretty girl, or maybe it was because he just didn't care, but he let her drag him across town to the inn she was staying at. She pulled him to her room, not really thinking; she was just trying to do a good deed, to help a once proud and arrogant man find some footing in the world once more. "Come on. You can stay with me tonight!" She said opening the door to her room and smiling at him. He rose an eyebrow, wondering if she knew what she was saying.

His expression suddenly made Lucy realize what it sounded like she was suggesting. Her face turned as red as a tomato and as hot as Natsu's fire.

"N…no. Not like that. I mean…"

"It's okay. I know what you mean, Chickie. Don't worry." He said. Sighing in relief, Lucy led him in and to the sofa. He collapsed on it, exhausted and dizzy beyond control. Lucy gathered her pajamas from her suitcase then headed into the bathroom to change. When she emerged a few minutes later after brushing her teeth and changing into her yellow sleep shorts and T-shirt, Laxus was snoring away, totally dead to the world.

Smiling, the girl climbed into the bed and settled into it. It was not nearly as comfortable as her own back home, but it worked just fine none-the-less. She was drifting off when she felt a weight land on the bed next to her. She let out a squeak of surprise and alarm when two strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her against a hard chest. Lucy opened her eyes to see Laxus, still asleep, holding her to him…almost protectively. He had left his coat and SoundPod back on the sofa and had shed his shoes in a half-asleep drunken daze before following the fruity scent of the blonde girl who he'd fanaticized about for a long time.

"Laxus?" Lucy gently pushed at his shoulders, her body stiff and uncertain. She repeated his name again, but he only mumbled something incoherent and snuggled against her until he was using her as a body pillow. When she attempted to wiggle out of his hold, his arms tightened and he let out a sound that resembled a growl. She instantly ceased all struggling but stiffened even more.

After a couple of minutes, Lucy began to relax again though. Not really seeing the harm in it, she decided to simply go along with his wishes since there was no avoiding it anyway. Clearly he had a problem and she didn't mind helping the man. Something in him had changed since the Battle of Fairy Tail almost a year before, and for some reason she felt as if she needed to protect it. She slowly managed to shift her body until she was comfortable and he was snoring into her shoulder instead of her ear. The girl petted his head soothingly, her fingers playing with his surprisingly soft hair before she closed her eyes and willed sleep to come. Before drifting off into dream land, Lucy thought that their meeting was certainly a lucky thing.


End file.
